Products obtained from the juices of the agave plant and process of recovering the same



l Aug. 6,v 1940. .G J. NORD 2.210,463

PRODUCTS OBTAINED FROM THE JUICES 0F THE AGAVE PLANT AND PROCESS 0F RECOVERING THE SAME Filed NOV. 19, 1958 'azfzyA/aaizze LLvlllflI-Ll PM2/D Patented Aug. 6, 1940 OF THE AGAVE PLANT AND PROCESSOF RECOVERING THE SAME L Gustav Jean Nord, Asheville, N. j i i Application November 19, 193s, serial No. v241,420 e e claims. (ci. 26o-236.5)

My; invention relatesto new and useful imapreferred embodiment ofthe apparatus for proveinents lin the process for extracting and carrying'outmy process, the figure is a diagramtreating the juices of the lechuguilla and related matic view of a preferred form of lapparatus for species or" the agave plant. v carrying out thepro'cess.

An object of the invention'isto extract and Referring now "to the drawing, .there is diatreat the'aforementioned'juioes to recover useful grammatically shownv a cutting machine I, in products therefrom, particularly gums, resins, and which the leaves of the agave plant are placed acids. and in which machine there are knives for cut- Juice of theagave plant is of a high organic vting off the yellow basefrom the rest of the green y acidity and contains resinous materials among leaf. After the leaves have been thus cut, the G' numerousother substances. The plant itself conleaves as Well as the base stock are fed to an sists of green leaves, each having a yellow base automatic continuous digeSteI' 2- i approximately three inches in length. The great- -..This may be a Steamer 01' pressure C00ke1' and T er'percentage of the resinous substances is conhave foundr that the charge will be thoroughly *15 tained in the yellow base, although the long green deCOmDOSed if Steamed OI. epPTOXimateiy 011e 15 leaves also containconsiderable resinous and hour- They IJIeSSillfe'fit/.the7 time may be Varied saponaceous material. to suitthe condition ofthe agave, vthat is,`at cer- One of the principal objects of the present tain times ofthe year, the moisture content of the inventiomtherefore,.is'to treat the juices of the leef and itS bese Steek Will be geate. than et agavey and recover theresinous material in the Other times and the eIiOUIlt 0f steaming IleCeS- 20` form of a semi-viscous liquid or solid, both fmdsary muet be determined at the time 0f the haring many uses in the arts as a vehicle in var- Vesting of the plant. The steaming 0f the leaf nishes, lacquers, paints;.as a wall sizing, as a end ite bese iS impOftdit,` as kIiOt Only dOeS it rubber accelerator, and asa vegetable'glue, as break dOWTi .the iiierilstetiens'ebeilt the libere,

f well as other uses, hereinafter referred to.y but it e180 diSSOlVeSthe Seidble Subetelieee PIeS- 25 A further object of the invention is to provide eilt iii tiie-Dlaiitl i i' t a process wherein vthe leaves are submitted to a yAfter the ieeVeS allid bese have been thereugilly steaming action; an action for expressing the digeSteitheISO-fei tieeted meteiiel iS placed in juices; after which they are subjected te an an automatic continuous screw press 3, which is emyme fem0vng Step to' retard fermentation, provided with a screw "conveyor and screens (not 30'v after which the thus far treated juices are Subshown). The fibers will be withdrawn from one eczeem a distiuing operation lto drive off or dispart 0f the' machine. Whereas the expressed lq- Y till the acids and recover the resinous residue udS eue OI'Ced by e Dump 4.' t0 e filter DI'eSS 5.. in the stili in the form of a semi-viscous liquid The-purpose ofthe lterpress is to remove or solid. 5

' Still another object of the invention is to treat the iiellid eXpIeSSedTm the 'automatic screw the lechugulla or other agave plant while in its Dreesv aldtO thus retard fermentation 0f Said greenv State by subjecting the leaf and its base liquid. i This is of importance in that one of the te e Steam bethJ afterhwhieh the plant is Subend products offthe present process is Va semithe greater portion of the enzymes present in 3'57 40' jected to a press to thereby separate the yjuice VSCOUS liquider-Solid, comprising gums', resins, 40 7 from the pit-,hy er perenehymeus part of the leaf carbohydrates, saponins, and otherl substances. as it is broken down, as well as the yellow lIt Wiilfbe eppreeiated that failure to removey base in which is located the greater part of the the iffeetelv portion oftheafelementoned enresinoug produet f zymes would rapidly induce fermentation, where? Still another object of the invention is to by quantities 0f -dlCOhOiS4 aJlld Other products 45 extract and treat the juices from the agave plant, Would' bei formed not desired in the DieSent the latter containing acids, simple and complex procese, .Y i l' carbohydrates, saponin, natural resins, gums, and After 4tile llarger- Dertien ef the enzymes has other substances, to form products which have been removed, the DI'OCeSSed liquid "iS fed t0 a' commercial value. stille, where distillation takes-place at approxi- 50i with diese and other objects in view, the inmately 98C. at atmospheric pressure or under vention consists in certain new and novel process TedU-Ced pTeSSIlIe feite period 0f time Sufficient' steps and products as willbe hereinafter more to reduce the`.liquid in the ystill to a predeterfully described and pointed out in thev claims. mined. specific gravity.` n

*kv In the drawing showing in a diagrammatic way l `The distillate .is a semi-viscous, colorless liquid 55'` containing principally mucic, lactic, and other acids and an unidentified resin colorless in solution in these acids, a small percentage of said resin being in suspension.

The residue in the still 6 is a brownish liquid composed approximately .of 20% solids and 80% acidic liquid, the latter being principally composed of a Water solution of mucic and lactic acids and containing, `in addition, fatty acids, glycerides, and other substances.

The solid portion of the acidic residue contains numerous substances, among which may be mentioned simple and complex carbohydrates, natural resins, gums, saponaceous materials, and other substances not particularly identified.

The aforementioned solids gave the following approximate results upon analysis:

Analysis of solids Per cent Reducing sugars 18.50 Non-reducing sugars 2.69 Gums 38.51 Starch 1.25

Pentosans 4.58 Nitrogenous matter 5.19 Resin 1.93 Fiber 18.32 Ash (total) 14.76 Acidity (calculated as lactic) 2.25 Saponin (crude) 8.95

Chemical composition of ash Per cent Silica (SiO2) .30 Ferrie oxide (FezOs) v1.32 Aluminum oxide (A1203) 4.74 Manganese oxide (MmOi) 0.28 Lime cao) 21.56

Magnesia (MgO) 24.56 Potash (KfiO) 17.80 Soda (NazO) 6.44 Sulphur trioxide (S03) 1.60 Phosphoric acid (P205) 6.24

Carbon dioxide (CO2) 15.16

The resinous residue in the still, referred to above, is useful as a vehicle in varnishes, lacquers, andthe paint industry in general. It has also found application as a Wall sizing and Vegetable glue and in other'ways. k

It Will be understood that if desired the residue in the -still 6 may be concentrated to such a degree that the same may be recoveredin solid form to facilitate ease in handling and adaptability for commercial use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A process for extracting and treating the juices of the lechuguilla and related species of the agave plant which comprises subjecting the leaf to steam pressure to break down the tissue and release the juices, then separating the aforementioned juices fromA the leaf, then filtering the expressed juices to remove the greater portion of the enzymes therefrom to retard fermentation thereof, and finally subjecting the filtered juices to distillation at substantially 98 C. to recover resin-containing acids in the distillate and asemi-viscous liquid as a residue'in the still.

2. A process for extracting and treating the juices of the lechuguilla and related species of thc agave plant which comprises Icutting the leaf of the plant to separate the base therefrom, then subjecting the leaf and base to steam pressure to break down the tissue and release the juices from both the leaf and base, then separating the aforementioned juices from the treated stoclr, then filtering the expressed juices to remove the greater portion of the enzymes therefrom to retard fermentation thereof, and finally subjecting the'filtered juices to distillation t0 concentration at substantially 98Cv C. to recover the seini-viscuous liquid as a residue in the still.

3. A process for extracting and treating the juicesof the lechuguilla and related species of the agave .plant which comprises cutting the leaf of the plant to separate the base therefrom, then subjecting the leaf and base to steam pressure to break down the tissue and release the juices from both the leaf and base, then separating the aforementioned juices from the treated stock, then filtering the expressed juices to remove the greater portion of the enzymes therefrom to retard fermentation thereof, and finally subjecting the filtered juices to distillation at a temperature of approximately 98 C. at atmospheric `pressure to recover resin-containing acids in the distillate and` a semi-viscous liquid as a residue in the still. v

4. A process for extracting and treating the juices of the lecliuguilla and related species of the agave plant which comprises cutting the leaf of the plant to separate the base therefrom, then subjecting the leaf and base to steam pressure to break down the tissue and release the juices from both the leaf and base, then separating the aforementioned juices from the treated stock, then filtering the expressed juices to remove the greater portion of the enzymes therefrom to retard fermentation thereof, and finally subjecting the filtered juices to distillation at a temperature of approximately 98 C. at atmospheric pressure to recover a semi-viscous liquid as a residue in the still, said residue containing simple and complex carbohydrates, natural resins, gums, saponaceous materials, and other substances. 4

5. A process for extracting and treating the juices of the lechuguilla and related species of the agave plant which comprises cutting the leaf of the plant to separate the base therefrom, then subjecting the leaf and base to steam pressure to breakdown the tissue and release the juices from both the leaf and base, then separating the aforementioned juices from the treated Stoch, then filtering the expressed juices to remove the greater portion of the enzymes therefrom to retard fermentation thereof, and finally subjecting the filteren juices to concentration at a temperature of approximately 98 C. at atmospheric pressure vto recover a semi-viscous liquid as a residue in the still, said'residue containing approximaty 20% solids and 80% acidic liquid, the latter 'being principally composed of a Water solution of inucic and lactic acids and containing in addition fatty acids, glyceridcs, and other substances, and the solid porticn of the residue containing simple and complex carbohydrates, natural resins, gums, saponaceous materials, and other substances.

6. AA process for extracting and treating the juices ofl the lechuguilla and related species of the agave plant which comprises cutting the leaf of the plant to separate the base therefrom, then subjecting the leaf and base to steam pressure to break down the 'tissue and release the juices from both the leaf i and base, then separating the aforementioned juices from the treated stock, then filtering the expressed juices to re- Lil) move the greater portion of the enzymes therefrom to retard fermentation thereof, and finally subjecting the ltered juices to distillation at a temperature of approximately 98 C. at atmospheric pressure to recover resin-containing acids in the distillate and a semi-viscous liquid as a residue in the still, said resin-containing acids being a semi-viscousr colorless liquid comprising principally mucic and lactic acids, and other acids, and a resin colorless in solution in these acids as Well as a small percentage of said resin in suspension.

GUSTAV JEAN NORD. 

